E-Cigarettes Can Severally Damage Your Blood Vessels

A new study has found that the flavorings in e-cigarette liquids can negatively affect your blood vessels and damage your heart.

The study appeared this week in the American Heart Association’s journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

• E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat a liquid containing flavor additives and nicotine to produce a vapor that gets inhaled.
• E-cig makers have been touting the devices as safer alternatives to traditional tobacco cigarettes for years.
• More research suggests that they might be just as bad.

The latest study tested nine different types of chemical flavorings in e-liquids and e-juices. Researchers were curious to learn what effects these additives can have on the lining of blood vessels and the heart in the short term.

Scientists found that all nine flavors, including menthol. vanilla, butter, clove, strawberry, and banana, were hazardous for the human health.

Laboratory tests revealed that when endothelial cells in blood vessels and the heart are exposed to high levels of these artificial flavorings, they tend to get damaged. Also, the chemicals seem to block nitric oxide production in blood vessels and the heart which can lead to higher levels of inflammation.

E-Cigarettes Can Up Inflammation, Damage Blood Vessels

The most dangerous flavorings were clove, vanilla, menthol, burnt flavoring, and cinnamon, which were tied to the lowest amount of nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide is a key component that lowers inflammation across the body, prevents clotting, and ensures that blood vessels are flexible enough to withstand greater blood flow.

Increased inflammation and a loss of nitric oxide are some of the first changes to occur leading up to cardiovascular disease and events like heart attacks and stroke,

noted lead author Jessica L. Fetterman, MD.

Fetterman explained that low nitric oxide levels and increased inflammation are early predictors of cardiovascular disease. Researchers warned that the chemicals in e-liquids can lead to “serious health consequences.”
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